An adventure animation series for the whānau!
When young Mata uncovers a hidden taonga at the ancient site of Te Muramura-ā-Rangi, he unlocks the adventure of a lifetime. Te Kāpehu is no ordinary compass – it’s a living portal to magic adventures shaped by the taiao and the wisdom of his tīpuna.
Guided by Whai and Manu, Mata journeys through the seven houses of Tokerau, gathering their mauri to awaken the Kāpehu and bring the world back into balance. Learn the names of the houses through the waiata-ā-ringa (action song) with a māori / cook islands beat!
Created in Aotearoa, New Zealand, Te Kāpehu a Mata is an epic kaupapa Māori Pacific quest made for tamariki who dream big, move fast, and lead with heart.
Coming soon to The Coconet TV!
MAI I TE MOANA
KI TE RANGI
Fly to the sky
Dive to the sea
KA PUTA, KA ORA
KI TE AO MĀRAMA
Unlock the compass
Set the world free
TŌ MANAWA,
KO TAKU MANAWA
One heart, one compass
Find the light
TE TAIAO,
KO TAKU ORANGA
Navigate the stars.
Ignite the night
The Origin Story
Te Kāpehu a Mata began with aroha.
A love for a world filled with wonder, and a belief that all tamariki should be able to encounter that world through te reo Māori.
I wanted to create something where the ocean, the stars, the winds and the creatures around us weren't simply a backdrop to the story. They held knowledge. They spoke. They guided us. And our tamariki could look at that world and realise there was so much still waiting to be discovered.
Mata came from that idea. He is curious, adventurous and still learning — because, really, we are all tamariki when we enter a world we don't yet understand. We can be like tamariki, as tauira, in learning te reo Māori too.
Mata gives us a way to make that learning magical. He doesn't receive all the answers. He has to look, listen, follow, get things wrong and eventually discover what the world has been trying to show him.
Beneath Te Kāpehu a Mata is a love story. Mata is born of Matanui and Riria — guardians of ocean and stars. Their worlds meet in him. As the Kāpehu awakens and Mata journeys through the seven houses of Tokerau, Whai and Manu guide him through a world of magic and discovery — only for Mata to realise that what he has been searching for also lives within him.
Te Kāpehu a Mata carries the philosophy of Te Kāpehu Auaha: the taonga already within us, something calling us to go deep or follow - whai, an idea ready to take flight — manu — and ultimately, something to give back — koha.
From aroha, curiosity, whakapapa and te taiao, Mata became a story made to travel — and a koha for our tamariki and whānau.
At its heart, this is what it's for.
To awaken the tamaiti in us all — to see the world with wonder, and discover the magic held within it.
Lanita Ririnui - Storyworld Creator
Our Development & Partners
Te Kāpehu a Mata was created through the guiding philosophy of Te Kāpehu Auaha — grounded in the belief that what we create should carry a koha back to the communities, knowledge systems and people that have shaped it. At the heart of the series is star compass knowledge aligned with traditional waka navigation: an extraordinary body of mātauranga that continues to live through those who practise, protect and pass it forward.
Te Kāpehu Auaha and Te Kāpehu a Mata began as creative explorations inspired by the ocean, the stars, te taiao and the possibilities of wayfinding. As those ideas grew, creativity found its way into practice through the establishment of the name and koha of a twin tohu for the waka navigation training cohort Ngaa Mata a Karewa. We carry that reciprocity forward in alignment — from creative exploration to the living practice of waka navigation and back.
Mata’s story is grounded in Whāingaroa, reflecting Table 1’s foundational contribution to this journey and carrying its wonder forward for every tauira beginning their own path of discovery.
We acknowledge Te Kura Waka for their continued support as tuakana to Ngaa Mata a Karewa, strengthening the connection between this creative world and the mātauranga carried and practised on the moana.
Te Kāpehu a Mata is a creative expression of that inspiration — never a substitute for being on the moana, beneath the stars, learning from those who carry this mātauranga. Our koha is to spark curiosity and open pathways back to the waka, the moana and the people with whom this knowledge lives.
We acknowledge Te Māngai Pāho for believing in and supporting us to bring this kaupapa to life. Our partnership with The Coconet TV gives Mata a home from which he can travel into the world — carrying a distinctly Māori story while connecting with a much wider Pacific story of ocean, stars, navigation, language and belonging. To AMA Animation for the development journey and the learning that helped shape the series, and long time production partners at Taktix Films and The Mixdown, who are integral in creating the dream into the world you see and hear on screen.
Special mention to Hemi Kelly at Tautika Ltd for guiding us in making te reo māori fun, as well as music producer David Atai & artist Sam V for bringing the essential Cook Island sound and heartbeat to the mix. To the magic voices of Mahara Nicholas and Ricky-Lee Russell Waipuke, thank you for bringing our key characters to life!
Te Kāpehu a Mata has been built through many hands, many forms of knowledge and a shared willingness to create something new while remaining connected to what came before us.
As a whānau, we are proud to create magic for all whānau!
He taonga tuku iho. He koha tuku atu.
Something inherited. Something given forward.
COMING SOON!